TOWN Hall chiefs have been blasted for creating a rubbish eyesore - days after winning two top environmental awards.

Irate residents in Fernhurst Grove, Halliwell, say they have been left staring at a 'tip' for weeks, after council workmen ripped out the kitchen of a house.

They claim that the rubbish has been piled up in the open-plan front garden of a town house, waiting to be removed for the past four weeks.

The heap of rubbish was dumped just a month before the Council was nominated for five environmental awards.

One angry neighbour said: "It's not as if it's been dumped in the middle of an estate, it's close to a main road.

"There should be a follow-up procedure in place to clear these things away.

"This mess should have been cleared away far sooner, especially when it's been left at the front of a house.

"It looks like a dump. I don't know how they have the shame to accept the awards."

Council officers travelled to Harrogate for the Tidy Britain Group awards on Tuesday night. Bolton scooped the Best Programme of the Year award and Trevor Leese, the man behind the 'green' campaign was named Programme Manager of the Year.

Yesterday a Council spokesman apologised for the delay in collecting the rubbish.

He added: "We apologise for the delay and will be making a special call to remove the units and any other debris."

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